BECOME a SOCCER INTELLECTUAL

Another year is upon us, and it’s the most popular time to think about starting a new diet. But I’d like to propose a different type of diet – a steady diet of soccer learning. I’m a big believer in lifelong learning. You don’t go to coaching courses once for a lifetime, you are in coaching development all of your life.

There is a famous story about Oliver Wendell Holmes. When he was in his 90’s, Holmes was in the hospital and President Theodore Roosevelt came to visit him. As the president was ushered into the room, there was Justice Holmes reading “FUNdamental SOCCER –Practice”. Roosevelt asked, “Why are you reading about soccer fundamentals, Mr. Holmes?”

And Holmes replied, “To improve my knowledge about youth and how to coach them, Mr. President.” Ninety years old and still trying to learn something about youth and coaching them. Remarkable!!!

If a ninety-year old can continue to learn; Then So Can We! How about WE (D-7 Coaches) make a resolution to make continuing soccer education our priority in 2018..!

We live in a sad time when you consider the following statistics:

-51% of American soccer coaches never read another soccer book after attending two (2) coaching courses. -73% of all soccer books in libraries are never checked out.

-69% of American soccer coaches watch only two (2) pro games on TV per week.

And the average American coach annually spends 10 times more on what he puts on his head than what puts into his head.

Consider the following:

-If you read just one soccer book per month for 12 straight months, you will be in the top 25% of all soccer intellectuals in the world! -If you read just 15 minutes a day –every day, for one year – you could complete 20 soccer books!

Koach Karl’s Moral -If you finished just one soccer book per month you would be in the top 25% of all soccer intellectuals in the world. If you shared just 10% of what you learned and how it could fit into our “D-7 pre-F+” course curriculum. Then, I truly believe, the D-7 Recreation Program could become one of the world’s premier youth development programs.

I look forward to seeing you at one of our world-class courses in 2018!